Tourette's syndrome

Tourette's syndrome is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by motor and vocal tics beginning in childhood.

It is part of a larger spectrum of tic disorders, ranging from mild transient tics to debilitating complex tics with behavioural issues and self-injurious behaviours.

The aetiology remains unclear but the condition is familial in most cases.

Diagnosis is based on clinical history. There is no identifiable biological marker.

The course can vary greatly among individuals, but prognosis is often promising. The majority of patients show improvement of their tics by late adolescence or young adulthood.

The standard of care is symptomatic medical and behavioural management. A crucial part of management includes patient, family, teacher, and peer education.

Tourette's syndrome (TS) is a childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by motor and vocal tics and often accompanied by psychiatric disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), among others.[1]Fahn S, Jankovic J, Hallet M, et al. Chapter 17: Tics and Tourette syndrome. In: Principles and practice of movement disorders. Philadelphia, PA: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2007:409-422.

Tic symptoms typically begin in childhood, peak prior to puberty, and attenuate later in adolescence.[2]Leckman JF, Zhang H, Vitale A, et al. Course of tic severity in Tourette syndrome: the first two decades. Pediatrics. 1998;102:14-19. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9651407?tool=bestpractice.com [3]Bloch MH, Peterson BS, Scahill L, et al. Adulthood outcome of tic and obsessive-compulsive symptom severity in children with Tourette syndrome. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006;160:65-69. http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/160/1/65 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16389213?tool=bestpractice.com